Dantewada: Eight Naxalites, including three women, surrendered to security forces, while another four ultras were apprehended in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, a top police official said on Sunday.
According to Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai, the surrendered individuals had been implicated in activities such as road blockades, displaying Naxal propaganda materials, and conducting reconnaissance for Naxalite leaders in the Katekalyan area. The four arrested individuals were allegedly involved in a shooting and explosive incident in the Aranpur area last year.
The eight Naxalites who surrendered expressed disillusionment with the Naxal ideology and cited their admiration for the police's 'Lon Varratu' rehabilitation initiative. Notably, among them, Mangdu Kuhdami and Kumari Lakhme carried rewards of Rs 1 lakh each on their heads. These individuals had been active in the Katekalyan region.
With these recent surrenders, a total of 639 Naxalites, including 163 with bounties, have renounced violence in the district through the 'Lon Varratu' campaign initiated by the district police in June 2020.
In a separate operation, a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Bastar Fighters arrested four Naxalites in a forest near Gonderas village under Aranpur police station limits during a search operation. The operation was conducted based on specific intelligence regarding the presence of Naxalites in Potali, Kakadi, and Gonderas villages.
The four individuals attempted to flee but were apprehended after a pursuit. During questioning, they admitted to their affiliation with the banned CPI (Maoist) group. The arrested Naxalites have been identified as Rava Muka, Muka Kalmu, Hidma Rava, and Madvi Bheema, all considered lower-tier members in the area. They were allegedly involved in a shooting and explosive incident targeting security personnel in the Aranpur area last year, and the investigation is ongoing.
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